Description
Herbie Hancock – The New Standard (Verve By Request) – Double 180 Gram Vinyl Records
Herbie Hancock’s The New Standard occupies a unique place in his formidable discography, representing both a bold stylistic pivot and a synthesis of the many avenues he has explored over four decades. Released in 1996 on Verve Records, the album finds Hancock and his all-star quintet taking aim at a selection of contemporary pop and rock classics—instead of the usual jazz standards—and reimagining them through a rigorous improvisational lens. The 2006 Verve By Request reissue simply underscores the enduring appeal of this concept, inviting both longtime fans and curious newcomers to rediscover the innovative spirit that has defined Hancock’s career.
At its heart, The New Standard is an exercise in transformation. Opening with Nirvana’s “All Apologies,” Hancock immediately signals his intent: this is not a faithful homage, but a reinvention. The melody, carried largely by Michael Brecker’s plaintive tenor saxophone, is draped over lush, chromatically shifting harmonies that only hint at Kurt Cobain’s original grunge urgency. John Scofield’s electric guitar interjects angular riffs that contrast with Dave Holland’s warm, anchoring bass lines, while Jack DeJohnette’s drums pulse with a quiet intensity—more brushstrokes than bombast—allowing each improvised statement to bloom organically. In this arrangement, the song’s melancholy becomes almost chamber-like in its spaciousness, inviting listeners to hear every note anew.
Peter Gabriel’s “Mercy Street” undergoes a similar metamorphosis. Originally a moody, atmosphere-heavy track on Gabriel’s So album, it is here stripped down to its emotional core: a plaintive piano motif that Hancock delivers with crystalline clarity. When the band joins in, they do so sparingly—Holland’s bass and DeJohnette’s cymbal textures punctuate the space rather than fill it, and Brecker’s saxophone enters like a soliloquy, weaving countermelodies that feel simultaneously spontaneous and deeply connected to the song’s lyrical subtext. The result is a version that is both more intimate and yet more expansive, as if Gabriel’s existential questioning has been transposed into a prosody of silence and resonance.
On “Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown),” Hancock nods to his own past even as he pushes forward. The Beatles classic, which he had famously recorded decades earlier on Empyrean Isles, returns here in a Brazilian-inflected groove. DeJohnette’s flexible, almost elastic drum patterns borrow from samba and bossa nova, and Scofield’s guitar adopts nylon‐string warmth, reframing the folk melody against rhythms that conjure Rio de Janeiro rather than suburban London. It’s a testament both to Hancock’s versatility on piano—he switches to electric Rhodes at key moments—and to the quintet’s empathic cohesion; each musician listens as intently as they play, balancing individual expression with collective momentum.
The album closes with “New York Minute,” the Eagles’ urbane portrait of city life distilled into a jazz tableau. Scofield’s guitar lines dart through Hancock’s sparkling chord voicings, evoking the hurry and pulse of Manhattan streets. DeJohnette conjures the ambient sounds of the city in his brushwork, and Holland’s bass walks the edges of the melody, sometimes doubling it, sometimes weaving an independent countermelody. In this epilogue, the city’s contradictions—its romance, its anxiety, its unceasing motion—are rendered with both affection and critical insight, much as Hancock has faced the many contradictions of his own musical life.
In sum, The New Standard stands as an audacious statement: that familiar songs can be fertile ground for fresh improvisation, and that the separation between “jazz standard” and “pop repertoire” is more porous than purists might imagine. The Verve By Request edition reissue reminds us that the album’s influence has only grown since 1996, inspiring a legion of younger jazz artists to explore the music of Radiohead, hip-hop producers, and beyond. Through its seamless integration of pop repertoire, masterful arrangements, and the empathetic interplay of five of the finest improvisers of their generation, The New Standard continues to redefine our expectations of both hashtags—#jazz and #covers—solidifying its role as a modern classic in Hancock’s unparalleled body of work.
Brand new, never played and still in the factory plastic sealed
Track Listing
New York Minute Written-By – Danny Kortchmar, Don Henley, Jai Winding
Mercy Street Written-By – Peter Gabriel
Norwegian Wood Written-By – John Lennon-Paul McCartney
When Can I See You Written-By – Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds
You’ve Got It Bad Girl Written-By – Stevie Wonder, Yvonne Wright
Love Is Stronger Than Pride Written-By – Andrew Hale, Sade Adu, Stuart Matthewman
Scarborough Fair Written-By – Paul Simon-Art Garfunkel
Thieves In The Temple Written-By – Prince
All Apologies Written-By – Kurt Cobain
Manhattan (Islands Of Lights And Love) Written-By – Herbie Hancock, Jean Hancock
Your Gold Teeth II Written-By – Donald Fagen, Walter Becker
